Doc.-Markets  1.  I(J8ued 

United  States  Department  of  Agriculture, 

OFFICE  OF  MARKETS  AND  RURAL  ORGANIZATION. 


O.  C. 


WORK  OF  THE  $FFICE  OF  MARKETS  AND  RURAL 


nar  CHABLES  J. 

^INTRODUCTION. 

It  is  believed  that  effective  and  economical  methods  for  distributing 
and  marketing  farm  products  should  go  hand  in  hand  with  scientific 
methods  of  production,  as  it  profits  little  to  improve  the  quality  and 
increase  the  quantity  of  our  crops  if  we  can  not  learn  when,  where, 
and  how  they  may  be  sold  to  advantage.  To  provide  for  a  study  of 
the  problems  involved  Congress  during  the  spring  of  1913  appro- 
priated funds  for  the  establishment  and  operation  of  the  Office  of 
Markets.  The  Office  of  Rural  Organization  was  established  a  year 
later  in  order  to  determine  the  possibilities  and  encourage  the  use 
of  organized  cooperative  effort  in  improving  rural  conditions.  These 
two  offices  were  combined  on  July  1,  1914,  and  the  combined  unit  is 
known  as  the  Office  of  Markets  and  Rural  Organization. 

The  authority  conferred  by  Congress  in  appropriating  funds  for 
the  maintenance  of  this  Office  provides  for  the  "  collection  and  dis- 
tribution of  useful  information  on  subjects  relating  to  the  marketing 
and  distributing  of  farm  products"  and  the  study  of  cooperation 
among  farmers  in  the  United  States.  So  far  as  marketing  work  is 
concerned,  the  activities  of  the  office,  therefore,  are  limited  to  the  col- 
lection and  distribution  of  information.  For  example,  it  has  no 
authority  to  prosecute  cases  of  alleged  dishonesty  on  the  part  of  pro- 
ducers, carriers,  dealers,  or  buyers.  It  has  nothing  whatever  to  do 
witli  the  problems  of  production. 

Owing  to  the  complexity  and  wide  scope  of  the  work,  up  to  the 
present  time  it  has  been  impossible  to  undertake  a  comprehensive 
study  of  more  than  a  few  of  the  most  urgent  and  important  of  the 
problems  which  demand  investigation.  As  far  as  possible  the  mar- 
keting problems  are  being  studied  from  the  points  of  view  of  pro- 
ducer,^ dealer,  and  consumer.  A  large  part  of  the  rural  organization 
investigations  have  consisted  of  studies  of  the  work  of  rural-credit 
associations.  As  this  work  is  now  well  under  way,  more  time  will  be 
devoted  to  other  phases  of  the  rural-organization  work  without,  how- 
ever,  discontinuing  any  of  the  rural-credit  investigations. 

Some  bulletins  have  been  issued  giving  the  results  of  investigations, 
and  others  are  ready  for  publication.  The  lines  of  work  which  now 
are  being  prosecuted  are  described  briefly  below.  Further  informa- 
tion may  be  secured  by  addressing  definite  questions  on  specific  sub- 
jects to  the  Chief  of  the  Office  of  Markets  and  Rural  Organization. 

2440"— 15 


COOPERATIVE  PURCHASING  AND  MARKETING. 

The  individual  grower  frequently  discovers  that  working  alone  he 
is  unable  to  do  certain  things  which  are  economically  essential.  Be- 
cause of  this  fact,  a  general  demand  for  cooperative  effort  has  arisen, 
and  it  is  with  the  view  of  being  helpful  to  this  movement  that  the 
work  on  this  project  is  being  emphasized. 

It  has  been  found  that  cooperative  marketing  is  carried  on  in  the 
United  States  to  a  much  greater  extent  than  was  supposed.  The 
names  and  addresses  of  over  10,000  marketing  associations  have  been 
obtained,  including  cooperative  and  farmers'  elevators,  creameries, 
fruit  and  produce  and  other  associations,  and  it  has  been  estimated 
that  over  a  billion  dollars'  worth  of  agricultural  products  are  sold 
each  year  by  cooperative  marketing  organizations. 

The  investigations  undertaken  include  a  study  of  successful  buying 
and  selling  organizations  in  this  and  foreign  countries  to  discover 
their  strong  and  weak  points  and  the  reason  for  the  failure  of  organi- 
zations which  have  been  unsuccessful.  Experiments  are  being  made 
to  ascertain  the  advantages  of  direct  dealing  between  organized  pro- 
ducers and  organized  consumers  in  such  commodities  as  eggs,  poultry, 
butter,  fruit,  and  vegetables. 

Suggestions  may  be  given  regarding  cooperative  organizations; 
when  they  are  warranted  and  how  they  should  be  organized;  forms 
of  constitutions  and  by-laws;  incorporation,  control,  and  manage- 
ment. It  is  hoped  that  through  such  organizations  production  may 
be  adapted  to  meet  market  requirements,  waste  may  be  eliminated, 
brands  and  trade-marks  established,  special  local  products  advertised, 
refrigerator  cars  and  other  special  transportation  used,  new  markets 
discovered  and  old  ones  extended,  methods  of  securing  information  as 
to  crop  and  market  conditions  devised,  by-products  utilized,  cold  and 
common  storage  facilities  obtained  and  the  holding  of  crops  financed, 
supplies  purchased,  equipment  and  material  secured  and  used,  and 
all  the  advantages  and  economies  gained  which  accrue  to  enterprises 
which  are  conducted  on  a  large  scale. 

Information  and  assistance  have  been  given  to  existing  and  pro- 
spective organizations  by  correspondence,  personal  visits,  and  public 
addresses.  Before  any  practical  advice  can  be  given  to  persons  who 
intend  to  organize,  or  who  have  organized,  a  clear  understanding  of 
the  local  situation  is  necessary.  Those  wishing  suggestions  from  the 
Office  should  state  the  facts  as  to  the  kind  and  amount  of  crops  to  be 
marketed,  the  extent  of  territory  to  be  organized  and  the  number  of 
growers  to  be  included,  how  the  marketing  is  now  done  and  the  mar- 
ket now  supplied,  whether  any  cooperative  effort  has  been  attempted 
in  the  community,  and,  if  so,  its  success,  and  any  other  essential 
details. 


MARKETING  BUSINESS  PBACTICE. 

The  marketing  of  agricultural  products  is  a  business,  and  in  order 
to  bring  the  greatest  returns  to  the  producer  and  to  lessen  the  price 
to  the  consumer  it  must  be  conducted  in  a  thoroughly  businesslike 
way.  Competent  management,  accurate  records  and  accounts,  and 
proper  tools  are  essential  in  the  conduct  of  all  business  enterprises, 
great  or  small.  The  failure  of  many  cooperative  organizations  sell- 
ing farm  products  may  be  traced,  either  directly  or  indirectly,  to  the 
lack  of  one  or  more  of  these  essentials. 

To  be  successful  in  eliminating  wastes  the  cost  of  each  step  in  the 
marketing  and  distributing  of  agricultural  products  must  be  ac- 
curately ascertained.  Wastes  and  excessive  profits  must  be  discov- 
ered before  they  can  be  eliminated.  For  this  reason  the  Office  of 
Markets  and  Rural  Organization  is  conducting  investigations  of  the 
business  practices  of  cooperative  and  farmers'  marketing,  distribut- 
ing, purchasing,  and  rural  business  organizations,  and  other  agencies 
engaged  in  the  marketing,  distributing,  and  storing  of  farm  products, 
paying  especial  attention  to  office  organization,  accounting  systems, 
methods  of  auditing,  office  appliances  and  equipment,  and  plans  of 
financing.  Systems  of  accounts  are  being  devised  for  various  types 
of  organizations  and  other  agencies ;  one  for  cooperative  grain  eleva- 
tors has  been  completed,  tried  out  successfully  in  actual  operation, 
and  now  is  available  for  use.  Over  200  elevators  have  made  arrange- 
ments to  install  this  system  this  year.  Other  systems  have  been  de- 
vised for  fruit  exchanges,  produce  associations,  live-stock  shipping 
associations,  and  poultry  circles.  After  a  thorough  test  of  their  prac- 
ticability the  accounting  systems  devised  by  the  Office  are  made  avail- 
able for  all,  and  when  practicable  active  assistance  is  rendered  in 
their  installation.  Systems  of  accounts  also  are  being  outlined  for 
firms  doing  a  commission  business  in  agricultural  products,  with  the 
view  of  devising  something  which  may  be  adopted  ultimately  as  a 
uniform  system  by  the  "  trade." 

MARKET  SURVEYS,   METHODS,  AND  COSTS. 

Under  our  present  system  of  marketing  food  products  the  con- 
sumer seldom  receives  any  material  benefit  from  the  production  of  an 
unusually  large  crop.  While  our  distributing  system  seems  fairly 
satisfactory  as  long  as  products  are  handled  in  car  lots,  its  func- 
tions are  not  properly  performed  when  unusually  large  quantities 
of  food  products  have  accumulated  in  the  larger  markets  and  need 
to  be  passed  on  to  the  consumer. 

Wholesale  prices  are  often  so  depressed  as  to  be  ruinous  to  the 
producer,  while  the  consumer  who  buys  in  small  quantities  realizes 
little  reduction  in  price.  In  other  words,  our  present  methods  do 
not  give  to  the  consumer  the  benefits  of  the  unusually  low  prices 
which  producers  receive  in  seasons  of  abnormal  production. 


Apparently  the  situation  is  aggravated  by  the  accumulation  of 
great  quantities  of  food  products  at  large  cities  for  redistribution 
to  many  smaller  markets,  each  of  which  consumes  full  car  lots 
and  which  probably  could  be  served  more  economically  were  its 
shipments  received  direct  from  the  regions  of  production.  At  this 
point  the  work  in  market  surveys  merges  with  the  work  to  be  under- 
taken in  studying  the  practicability  and  costs  of  a  market  news  serv- 
ice designed  to  promote  a  better  distribution  of  perishable  crops. 
The  marketing  methods  used  in  large  cities  are  being  investigated 
and  studies  are  being  made  of  the  current  market  quotations,  which 
in  certain  commodities  have  been  reported  to  the  Office  of  Markets 
and  Rural  Organization  daily.  These  data  are  being  used  in  a  pre- 
liminary trial  of  the  practicability  of  the  market  news  service. 

This  part  of  the  work  also  includes  those  general  studies  which 
relate  to  supply  and  demand  and  many  specific  studies  of  different 
marketing  methods  and  of  the  costs  of  the  various  services  involved. 
This  comprises  surveys  of  the  consumption  of  specific  products  in 
definite  localities,  as  well  as  a  determination  of  the  market  surplus 
produced  within  certain  shipping  areas.  In  making  these  surveys, 
there  have  been  compiled  lists  of  producers,  producers'  organizations, 
shippers,  and  transportation  agents  and  officials  from  whom  infor- 
mation on  specific  perishable  crops  is  to  be  secured  in  season. 
Although  they  are  subject  to  revision,  the  lists  for  such  products 
as  potatoes,  strawberries,  peaches,  tomatoes,  cabbage,  and  onions 
are  practically  complete.  An  important  part  of  the  investigation 
is  a  study  of  the  relation  of  prices  to  receipts  in  important  distribut- 
ing centers,  with  a  view  to  determining  the  point  at  which  the  mar- 
ket becomes  glutted,  with  prices  falling  so  low  as  to  render  ship- 
ments unprofitable.  A  force  of  market  reporters  is  at  work  in  the 
more  important  market  centers  of  the  country,  their  principal  duty  at 
present  being  to  follow  the  progress  of  certain  products  from  the  time 
they  arrive  in  a  given  city  until  they  reach  the  ultimate  consumer. 
They  have  traced  a  large  number  of  carloads  of  different  commodi- 
ties, and  have  obtained  much  valuable  and  detailed  information. 

The  market  survey  work  includes  a  great  many  detailed  investi- 
gations of  the  methods  pursued  and  the  costs  involved  in  the  han- 
dling and  distribution  of  specific  articles  and  products,  especially 
those  which  are  produced  or  consumed  within  fairly  definite  areas. 

MARKET   GRADES  AND  STANDARDS. 

The  purpose  of  this  project  is  the  investigation  of  present  meth- 
ods of  gathering,  handling,  grading,  packing,  and  shipping  farm 
products  to  determine  their  relative  efficiency,  and  the  education  of 
the  producer  and  shipper  as  to  the  best  methods,  and  as  to  the  value 
and  necessity  of  fixed  market  standards  and  strict  grading,  (Legal 


standards  for  food  products,  under  the  Food  and  Drugs  Act,  are 
not  considered  under  this  project.) 

The  term  standardization,  as  understood  in  the  mercantile  world 
to-day,  refers  to  the  general  use  of  uniform  supplies,  equipment, 
and  operating  methods.  Manufacturers  hare  found  it  not  only  to 
their  individual  and  mutual  advantage,  but  of  great  benefit  to  the 
general  public.  The  Office  is  studying  this  problem  to  determine  how 
the  farmer  might  standardize  his  output  with  like  benefit  to  himself 
and  to  his  produce. 

The  office  is  making  investigations  to  determine  the  desirability 
of  the  national  standardization  of  market  grades,  weights,  measures, 
and  packages  or  containers,  and  of  uniform  trade  names  for  each 
for  all  sections.  It  has  been  found  that  a  great  lack  of  uniformity 
exists  among  the  various  State  laws  on  the  subject  of  standardiza- 
tion, many  conflicting  so  seriously  as  to  interfere  with  the  most  ad- 
vantageous marketing  and  distribution  of  farm  products.  Complete 
files  of  present  Federal,  State,  and  municipal  laws  and  regulations 
concerning  grades,  standards,  weights,  measures,  packages,  and  con- 
tainers are  being  collected. 

This  office  in  investigating  the  value  and  desirability  of  fixed 
marketing  standards  and  of  encouraging  their  universal  use,  has 
studied  methods  of  picking,  packing,  and  shipping,  the  grades  and 
grading,  and  the  type  and  size  of  packages  used  for  a  number  of 
products — such  as  peaches,  strawberries,  tomatoes,  celery,  potatoes, 
and  cantaloupes.  It  was  found  that  in  a  season  which  was  generally 
disastrous  to  cantaloupe  growers  one  Colorado  company,  which 
carefully  maintained  a  superior  pack  and  grade,  was  able  to  market 
every  car  at  a  profit. 

While  these  investigations  have  been  confined  in  the  main  to  per- 
ishables, it  is  proposed  to  extend  them  to  other  farm  products  as 
the  opportunity  presents.  Study  is  now  being  made  of  the  possi- 
bilities of  establishing  marketing  standards  for  use  in  grading  and 
shipping  potatoes,  as  very  little  has  been  done  toward  securing  uni- 
form practices  in  handling  this  great  crop. 

A  collection  of  typical  boxes,  crates,  and  carriers  used  in  all  sec- 
tions of  the  country  is  being  made.  A  standard  barrel  and  pack  for 
apples  was  established  by  Congress  in  1912.  A  standard  barrel  for 
fruits  and  vegetables  was  similarly  established  in  March,  1915,  and 
becomes  effective  July  1,  1916. 

CITY  MARKETING  AND  DISTRIBUTION. 

This  work  includes  an  investigation  of  all  the  commercial  methods 
of  distributing  and  marketing  foodstuffs  in  cities.  The  great  city  is 
the  home  of  many  acute  marketing  problems,  as  a  large  percentage 
of  the  costs  and  wastes  in  the  distribution  of  food  products  occurs 
there.  It  is  in  these  market  centers  that  gluts,  due  to  oversupply 


or  an  unevenly  apportioned  supply,  are  most  frequently  made  mani- 
fest, while  other  obstructions  often  prevent  a  free  flow  of  foodstuff's 
from  grower  to  consumer. 

In  the  case  of  perishable  products  every  handling  is  conducive  to 
additional  deterioration,  and  every  change  of  ownership  or  pos- 
session means,  as  a  rule,  added  costs.  It  is  planned  to  trace  products 
from  the  time  they  are  received  in  the  city  until  they  are  in  the 
hands  of  the  consumer  in  an  effort  to  locate  the  sources  of  waste, 
record  the  unnecessary  changes  of  ownership,  and  also  to  study  the 
work  of  each  type  of  dealer  and  the  cost  and  efficiency  of  his  service. 

Considerable  attention  is  centered  at  present  on  the  possibilities 
of  municipally  owned  wholesale  and  retail  markets  where  modern 
facilities  at  minimum  prices  can  be  offered  to  the  farmer  and  dealer, 
to  the  end  that  they  may  conduct  the  business  of  marketing  in  as 
efficient  a  way  as  possible.  The  best  municipal  markets  of  the 
country  are  being  studied  with  reference  to  the  details  of  location, 
cost,  construction,  sanitation,  maintenance,  and  the  service,  or  lack 
of  it,  which  they  render  to  the  public.  As  a  result  of  these  surveys 
several  cities  already  have  been  enabled  to  increase  the  efficiency  of 
their  markets.  At  present  few  cities  in  the  country  have  a  well- 
developed,  practical  plan  of  receiving  and  distributing  their  perish- 
able food  supply  so  as  to  minimize  the  costs  and  the  deterioration  of 
the  products. 

There  -is  a  great  field  for  the  utilization  of  efficient  wholesale  ter- 
minal markets,  while  many  cities  doubtless  would  find  it  profitable 
to  maintain  a  system  of  municipal  retail  markets.  There  is  a  con- 
stantly increasing  demand  from  municipalities  all  over  the  country 
for  advice  and  aid  in  improving  their  marketing  conditions  and  as 
far  as  is  possible  this  demand  is  being  answered.  In  many  cases 
personal  investigations  have  been  followed  by  extensive  reports  con- 
taining specific  advice  regarding  suitable  types  of  public  markets, 
their  advantageous  location,  and  other  details,  on  the  successful  work- 
ing out  of  which  depends  the  success  of  a  municipal  market  system. 

Most  large  markets  are  tending  more  and  more  to  draw  their 
supplies  from  distant  points  on  account  of  better  and  more  uniform 
service.  This  is  not  only  very  costly,  but  it  is  not  conducive  to  the 
development  of  adjacent  agricultural  land.  To  best  serve  its  own 
interests,  it  is  believed  a  city  should  obtain  as  much  of  its  food 
supply  as  is  economically  possible  from  tributary  territory.  This 
Office  will  make  special  endeavor  to  help  cities  develop  a  neighboring 
food  supply.  This  will  include  a  thorough  investigation  into  the 
possibilities  of  farmers'  wholesale  and  retail  public  markets,  auction 
facilities,  and  any  other  promising  methods  of  more  direct  marketing. 

Many  of  our  cities  are  poorly  equipped  with  facilities  for  storing 
perishable  goods  for  short  periods  of  time.  In  order  to  see  whether 
it  is  possible  to  suggest  improvements  in  this  direction,  the  avail- 


ability  of  mechanical  refrigeration  will  be  studied  as  applied  not 
only  to  wholesale  terminal  markets  and  retail  public  markets,  but 
also  to  units  small  enough  to  be  utilized  by  apartment  houses  and 
homes. 

TRANSPORTATION  AND  STORAGE. 

The  investigations  under  this  project  are  intended  to  aid  in  the 
solution  of  marketing  problems  which  are  involved  in  the  trans- 
portation and  storage  of  farm  products. 

The  office  has  undertaken  to  render  assistance  both  to  individual 
producers  and  shippers  and  to  associations  of  producers  or  con- 
sumers in  difficulties  relating  to  the  transportation  of  farm  products. 
As  a  rule,  this  assistance  has  been  along  general  educational  lines. 
The  office  has  not  attempted  to  act  specifically  with  carriers  as  agent 
for  any  person  or  associations.  Many  communications  have  been 
sent  in  the  effort  to  explain  to  shippers  technical  details  concerning 
railroads  and  their  methods.  The  endeavor  has  been  to  put  them  in 
a  position  to  handle  their  business  with  common  carriers  in  an 
intelligent  manner.  For  the  most  part  it  is  believed  that  better 
service  is  rendered  the  public  by  helping  them  to  help  themselves  in 
such  matters  than  by  taking  charge  of  the  whole  affair  for  them. 
Cases  may  arise,  however,  in  which  it  would  be  advisable  for  the 
office  to  handle  directly  with  shippers  and  carriers  all  of  the  details  of 
some  transaction,  and  in  such  an  event  it  will  undertake  to  do  so  as  a 
demonstration,  especially  when  better  results  can  be  obtained  and 
the  educational  value  of  the  service  to  shippers  can  thus  be  increased. 

It  is  believed  that  this  work  will  help  to  bring  about  and  maintain 
better  relations  between  shippers  of  farm  products  and  the  carriers. 
To  that  end  the  office  is  endeavoring  to  create  a  better  understand- 
ing on  the  part  of  shippers  of  the  peculiar  problems  and  diffi- 
culties confronting  carriers,  and,  on  the  part  of  carriers,  of  the 
special  needs  and  difficulties  of  shippers  of  farm  produce.  This 
mutual  understanding  should  result  in  closer  cooperation  between 
the  two,  which  is  necessary  and  desirable,  for,  in  its  last  analysis, 
production  and  transportation  are  merely  different  phases  of  the 
same  industrial  activity  and  the  producer  and  carrier  must  prosper 
or  fail  together. 

In  this  division  of  the  work  a  careful  study  is  being  made  of  the 
following  and  other  subjects: 

Terminal  and  transfer  facilities  of  railroads  in  their  bearing  on 
economy  of  time  and  labor  in  loading  and  unloading  and  as  they 
affect  the  time  in  transit  of  perishable  farm  products. 

Transit  and  similar  privileges  as  they  facilitate  the  distribution  of 
farm  products  and  lower  the  cost  of  such  distribution. 

Car  supply  of  the  entire  country,  of  particular  sections,  and  of 
private  car  lines  and  individual  roads;  increase  in  the  efficiency  of 


8 

cars  by  prompt  loading  and  unloading,  and  the  effect  of  demurrage 
laws  and  rules  on  car  efficiency. 

Freight  rates  as  generally,  but  not  necessarily,  the  prime  consid- 
eration in  questions  of  transportation ;  their  equalization  as  between 
roads,  between  competitive  producing  centers,  and  between  com- 
peting markets;  and  their  reduction,  when  necessary,  to  stimulate 
production  and  develop  new  centers  or  additional  areas  of  production. 

Minimum  carload  weights  in  their  relation  to  rates  and  the  limits 
necessary  for  proper  ventilation  and  refrigeration  of  perishable  com- 
modities. 

Construction  of  specific  purpose  cars,  such  as  refrigerator  cars, 
heater  cars,  and  live  poultry  cars. 

Iced  pick-up  cars  and  special  market  trains,  as  operated  by  steam 
roads,  electric  lines,  and  express  companies,  as  factors  in  increased 
production  and  more  effective  distribution. 

Commercial  storage,  with  or  without  refrigeration,  its  influence  on 
prices,  and  its  relation  to  the  effective  distribution  of  food  supplies. 

MARKETING  BY  PARCEL  POST   AND   EXPRESS. 

During  the  past  few  years  a  considerable  public  sentiment  has 
developed  in  favor  of  the  promotion  of  direct,  or  more  nearly  direct, 
dealing  between  producer  and  consumer,  with  special  reference  to 
food  products.  While  it  is  probable  that  the  existing  means  and 
methods  of  distribution  never  will  be  entirely  displaced,  there  un- 
doubtedly is  quite  a  field  within  which  direct  dealing  may  become 
effective,  with  no  other  intermediate  agency  than  the  transportation 
companies  or  the  United  States  mail.  The  transportation  may  be  by 
freight  (rail  or  water),  express,  or  parcel  post. 

As  a  result  of  this  popular  demand  for  direct  marketing,  especially 
by  parcel  post,  the  Office  of  Markets  and  Rural  Organization  has 
carried  on  extensive  experiments  in  this  method  of  selling  various 
farm  products. 

Many  successful  experimental  shipments  have  been  made  with  eggs, 
butter,  and  lettuce,  and  on  a  less  extensive  scale  shipments  of  straw- 
berries, cherries,  blackberries,  gooseberries,  grapes,  cauliflower,  and 
tomatoes  have  been  tried. 

One  of  the  difficulties  met  with  in  the  practical  application  of 
marketing  by  parcel  post  is  the  matter  of  contact  between  producer 
and  consumer.  A  producer  in  the  country  may  be  ready  to  do  busi- 
ness by  parcel  post  but  does  not  know  of  a  person  in  the  city  who 
wants  his  produce,  whatever  it  may  be;  and  the  consumer  in  the 
city  who  desires  to  buy  direct  from  the  producer  by  parcel  post  is 
similarly  handicapped  by  not  knowing  where  to  find  the  farmer  or 
producer  who  has  the  produce  he  wants.  Attempts  are  being  made  to 
find  satisfactory  methods  whereby  growers  and  consumers  may  come 
into  contact  with  each  other. 


As  a  method  of  marketing  it  is  expected  that  the  parcel  post  will 
succeed  only  in  so  far  as  it  affords  an  improvement  over  the  present 
system.  Fundamentally  there  are  only  two  reasons  why  the  con- 
sumer would  undertake  the  additional  trouble  in  securing  produce 
by  mail.  These  are  economy  in  cost  and  greater  freshness  of  product. 
The  difference  between  the  country  and  city  price  must  be  shared 
fairly  between  the  producer  and  the  buyer,  and  all  transactions  must 
be  made  with  scrupulous  honesty,  for  otherwise  there  is  little  pros- 
pect of  making  a  success  of  parcel-post  marketing,  and  the  benefits 
which  should  accrue  to  both  the  farmer  and  his  customer  will  be 
lost  entirely. 

MARKETING  LIVE  STOCK,  MEAT,  AND  ANIMAL  BY-PRODUCTS. 

In  view  of  the  vast  extent  of  the  live-stock  industry  and  the  cen- 
tralization of  live-stock  markets  and  meat-packing  points  the 
problems  covered  by  this  project  are  of  special  importance.  The 
distribution  of  our  natural  resources  and  of  our  population  appears 
to  necessitate  that  a  large  share  of  our  meat  products  shall  pass  from 
the  producing  to  the  consuming  districts.  Thus  a  great  system  of 
centralized  markets  has  grown  up,  accompanied  by  vast  industries 
devoted  to  the  preparation  and  distribution  of  the  meats  and  animal 
by-products  into  which  farm  stock  is  converted.  The  supply  and 
demand  at  these  great  markets  is  affected  by  so  many  industrial  and 
economic  factors  that  it  is  not  surprising  that  farmers  frequently  are 
perplexed  in  attempting  to  follow  the  markets  and  plan  their  live- 
stock operations  on  a  sound  market  basis.  Under  these  trade  condi- 
tions efforts  at  cooperation  have  been  undertaken  by  the  farmers  in 
the  Middle  West,  and  their  ability  to  work  together  in  this  way  has 
been  demonstrated  in  the  remarkable  spread  of  the  live-stock  ship- 
pers' association  movement. 

The  Office  of  Markets  and  Rural  Organization  is  conducting  a 
thorough  study  of  existing  markets  for  and  systems  of  -marketing 
live  stock,  meats,  and  animal  by-products,  for  the  purpose  of  sug- 
gesting ways  and  means  by  which  they  may  be  improved  and  their 
cost  reduced.  In  this  work  special  attention  is  given  to  the  efficiency 
of  methods  of  feeding,  yardage,  and  handling  of  live  stock  and  the 
charges  made  for  such  service  at  the  market  centers,  in  order  to 
determine  whether  the  prevailing  rates  and  customs  are  equitable 
and  whether  the  regulations  in  force  operate  to  the  advantage  of 
patrons  in  a*  reasonable  degree.  A  careful  study  will  be  made  of 
transportation  facilities  to  and  from  the  market  centers  to  ascertain, 
as  far  as  possible,  the  degree  of  economy  and  dispatch  with  which 
farm  live  stock  and  its  products  may  be  marketed.  The  classification 
and  grading  of  live  stock  and  meats  will  be  investigated  thoroughly, 
including  the  establishment  of  standards  of  quality  among  dealers, 
with  a  view  to  instructing  producers  of  live  stock  as  to  market  de- 


10 

mands,  and  conducting  a  campaign  of  education  among  consumers, 
looking  toward  a  more  rational  and  intelligent  selection  of  meats. 

Authentic  figures  representing  the  actual  cost  of  marketing  live 
stock  and  distributing  meats  and  animal  by-products  are  almost  en- 
tirely lacking,  and  it  is  planned  to  conduct  investigations  which  will 
serve  as  a  basis  for  just  conclusions  regarding  the  legitimate  and 
proper  place  of  each  class  of  dealer  who  participates  hi  the  marketing 
process. 

In  some  parts  of  the  country,  where  live-stock  production  is  in  a 
new  and  undeveloped  state,  as,  for  example,  on  western  irrigation 
projects  and  in  parts  of  the  South  where  diversified  farming  is  being 
introduced,  marketing  problems  arise  which  demand  prompt  aid, 
which  the  Office  of  Markets  and  Rural  Organization  will  attempt  to 
give.  On  the  other  hand,  certain  localities  and  individuals  have  de- 
vised systems  of  marketing,  such  as  the  direct  selling  of  home-pre- 
pared meat  products,  especially  farm-cured  hams,  bacon,  and  sau- 
sage ;  municipal  slaughtering  plants ;  live-stock  shippers'  association ; 
and  the  shipment  of  meats  by  parcel  post. 

MARKETING  DAIRY  PRODUCTS. 

The  Office  of  Markets  and  Rural  Organization  is  conducting  inves- 
tigational  work  in  the  marketing  of  dairy  products.  This  work  be- 
gins after  the  milk  and  cream  are  produced  by  the  farmer  and  is 
continued  by  following*  the  raw  product  through  the  various  stages 
of  transportation  and  distribution  to  the  ultimate  consumer. 

A  great  deal  of  the  investigative  work  of  the  office  is  carried 
on  in  cooperation  with  the  State  universities.  For  example,  the  mar- 
keting of  dairy  products  has  been  studied  in  this  way  in  Wisconsin 
and  Minnesota,  and  in  Massachusetts  the  office  worked  in  conjunction 
with  the  State  agricultural  college  to  determine  the  cost  of  supply- 
ing milk  to  certain  towns  and  cities  of  that  State. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  subjects  which  will  be  investigated : 

(1)  Systems  of  selling  cream  to  creameries;  (2)  systems  and 
methods  of  marketing  both  creamery  and  farm-made  butter  in  dif- 
ferent sections  of  the  country;  (3)  costs  of  marketing  butter  by  dif- 
ferent distributive  systems  and  methods  of  marketing;  (4)  cost  of 
market  milk  distribution  in  various  cities;  (5)  market  classifications 
and  rules  for  grading  dary  products;  (6)  relation  of  market  classifi- 
cations and  quality  of  dairy  products  to  prices  received  for  them  in 
the  market.  Investigations  also  are  in  progress,  or  are  being  planned, 
to  cover  other  phases  of  marketing  dairy  products. 

HANDLING,  MARKETING,  AND  UTILIZATION  OF  COTTON  AND  ITS 

PRODUCTS. 

In  the  spring  of  1912  the  Bureau  of  Plant  Industry  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture  instituted  the  investigations  in  cotton  handling 


11 

and  marketing,  which  now  are  carried  on  as  a  part  of  the  work  of 
the  Office  of  Markets  and  Rural  Organization. 

In  this  work  investigation  is  made  of  the  commercial  processes 
involved  in  the  handling,  marketing,  and  utilization  of  cotton,  in 
order  to  determine  whether  improvements  and  economies  .can  be  sug- 
gested. Experiments  are  made  to  determine  the  relative  commercial 
vaJue  of  pure-bred  varieties  of  cotton  and  the  percentage  of  moisture 
in  cotton  at  the  gins,  compresses,  and  other  concentration  points. 
Primary  market  surveys  are  undertaken  to  determine  geographical 
production,  the  quality  and  variety  of  long-staple  cottons,  etc.  An 
effort  is  made  to  demonstrate  to  cotton  growers  the  advantages  of 
organizing  cooperative  marketing  societies  to  handle  cotton  in  even- 
running  commercial  quantities,  and  to  assist  them  in  forming  these 
associations.  Illustrations  of  results  already  obtained  in  this  work 
are  afforded  by  organizations  of  cotton  planters  which  have  been 
formed  in  Arkansas  and  Arizona.  More  direct  dealing  between 
grower  and  manufacturer  is  promoted  in  order  to  reduce  injurious 
and  unnecessary  handlings  of  cotton  to  a  minimum. 

Two  lines  of  work  have  developed  from  this  project  which  appear 
to  demand  special  consideration :  The  first  is  the  marketing  and  utili- 
zation of  cotton  seed  and  its  products ;  the  second  is  the  warehousing 
of  cotton.  In  connection  with  the  first,  investigation  is  made  of  the 
present  methods  of  handling,  marketing,  and  utilization,  and  studies 
are  carried  on  regarding  the  establishment  of  standard  grades  and 
the  standardization  of  conditions  under  which  cotton  seed  and  its 
products  are  handled  and  stored.  In  the  cotton  warehousing  investi- 
gation studies  are  being  made  of  such  subjects  as  insurance  rates  on 
cotton  in  storage  and  the  results,  including  better  arrangements  for 
financing,  to  be  derived  from  conserving  cotton  in  storage  houses ;  the 
construction  of  different  types  of  warehouses;  and  the  relation  of 
present  methods  and  practices  of  compressing  cotton  to  warehousing. 
Special  attention  will  be  given  to  cooperative  storage  companies  with 
a  view  to  aiding  such  organizations  where  advisable.  Investigations 
will  be  made  to  determine  the  relation  of  warehouse  facilities  to  the 
financing  of  the  cotton  crop  and  the  interest  rates  on  money  loaned  on 
cotton,  as  well  as  the  relation  of  the  various  methods  and  practices  of 
compressing  cotton  to  storage  capacity,  insurance  rates,  and  economy 
in  handling  and  transportation. 

INVESTIGATIONS  AND  DEMONSTRATIONS  OF  COTTON  STANDARDS 
AND  COTTON  TESTING. 

In  making  appropriations  for  the  fiscal  year  1916.  Congress  trans- 
ferred the  item  under  which  this  work  was  conducted  from  the  Bureau 
of  Plant  Industry  to  the  Office  of  Markets  and  Rural  Organization, 
which  already  had  charge  of  problems  of  cotton  handling  and  market- 
ing and  of  the  enforcement  of  the  United  States  cotton  futures  act. 


12 

In  the  work  of  investigating  and  demonstrating  cotton  standards, 
studies  are  being  made  relative  to  the  classification  and  standardi- 
zation of  blue-tinged  and  yellow-tinged  cotton.  Tentative  types  of 
these  colored  cottons  have  been  prepared  and  their  application  to 
the  trade  is  being  studied.  Methods  for  determining  the  exact  length 
of  cotton  staple  are  being  considered.  Work  is  being  conducted  re- 
garding the  formulation  of  standards  for  "Arizona-Egyptian"  cot- 
ton, and  cotton  of  perished  staple,  immature  staple,  and  of  gin-cut 
cotton,  reginned  cotton,  and  cotton  linters. 

Field  work  is  done  to  determine  the  physical  effect  of  the  various 
processes  of  ginning,  baling,  and  compressing  on  the  grade  and  fiber 
of  cotton.  When  practicable,  the  services  of  grading  experts  are 
furnished  to  communities  of  cotton  growers  to  demonstrate  proper 
methods,  in  order  to  secure  more  uniform  grading  in  spot  cotton 
transactions  and  to  show  to  these  communities  the  advantages  of 
proper  grading  and  classification  of  cotton  before  sale. 

To  the  end  that  cotton  quotations  may  be  on  a  more  uniform  basis, 
grading  and  standardization  demonstrations  also  will  be  conducted 
in  certain  spot  markets. 

Tests  are  being  conducted,  in  cooperation  with  textile  schools  and 
large  manufactories,  to  determine  the  spinning  qualities  of  the  official 
cotton  standards  of  the  Unite4  States  and  the  grades  of  Egyptian 
cotton  grown  in  the  Salt  River  Valley  in  Arizona. 

Such  information  as  has  been  secured  as  a  result  of  these  investiga- 
tions may  be  obtained  by  addressing  definite  inquiries  to  the  Chief 
of  the  Office  of  Markets  and  Rural  Organization. 

THE  ADMINISTRATION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  COTTON  FUTURES 

ACT. 

The  United  States  cotton  futures  act  became  a  law  August  18. 
1914.  Its  provisions  relating  to  future  trading  in  cotton  became 
effective  six  months  later,  February  18,  1915.  This  act  seeks  to  regu- 
late trading  in  contracts  on  exchanges  for  future  delivery  of  cotton 
by  levying  a  prohibitive  tax  on  all  such  trading,  except  as  it  com- 
plies with  certain  specified  conditions.  These  conditions  were  deter- 
mined with  a  view  to  correcting  abuses  heretofore  existing  and  are 
imposed  on  parties  to  future  contracts  in  order  to  equalize  their  privi- 
leges and  protect  the  rights  of  all  cotton  owners,  as  future  contracts 
made  through  the  cotton  exchanges  practically  control  the  price  of 
the  entire  cotton  crop  of  the  South. 

By  order  of  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  the  administration  of  the 
portions  of  the  act  devolving  on  the  Department  of  Agriculture  was 
placed  in  charge  of  the  Office  of  Markets  and  Rural  Organization, 
under  the  direct  supervision  of  the  Secretary  and  in  close  cooperation 
with  the  Office  of  the  Solicitor,  where  all  legal  points  are  determined. 


13 

The  first  administrative  duty  imposed  by  the  act  was  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  new  Official  Cotton  Standards  of  the  United  States, 
which  were  promulgated  December  15,  1914.  The  new  standard  is 
decidedly  higher  in  quality  than  the  American  standard  formerly  in 
use  in  New  York  and  some  other  markets,  and  is  in  substantial  con- 
formity with  the  international  or  Liverpool  standard.  Since  the 
promulgation  of  the  new  standard  about  350  sets  of  practical  forms 
or  copies  have  been  sold  to  the  trade.  The  preparation  of  practical 
forms  of  the  new  standard  constitutes  one  of  the  regular  activities 
of  the  Office. 

Another  duty  imposed  by  this  act  is  the  investigation  and  designa- 
tion of  bona  fide  spot  markets.  Thirteen  cities  have  been  named  as 
such  thus  far,  and  10  of  these  are  being  used  in  establishing  com- 
mercial differences  for  the  settlement  of  future  contracts  as  required 
by  the  act.  In  case  future  markets  do  not  present  certain  conditions 
with  reference  to  their  spot  business,  the  expedient  was  adopted  by 
Congress  of  requiring  the  differences  on  which  future  trades  are 
settled  to  be  based  upon  the  quotations  from  markets  where  sales  of 
cotton  are  made  in  such  volume  and  under  such  conditions  as  accu- 
rately to  reflect  the  value  of  middling  and  the  differences  in  value 
between  middling  and  other  grades.  By  carefully  prepared  rules 
governing  the  making  of  quotations,  by  frequent  visits  to  the  spot 
exchanges,  and  by  telegraphic  and  mail  reports  from  each  exchange 
it  is  sought  to  have  the  differences  of  the  10  designated  markets 
accurately  represent  the  true  commercial  values  of  the  different 
grades,  the  average  of  which  may  be  taken  as  a  satisfactory  basis 
for  the  settlement  of  future  contracts. 

Another  important  administrative  duty  under  the  act  is  the  de- 
termination of  disputes  when  they  arise  as  to  the  length  of  staple, 
grade,  or  quality  of  any  cotton  tendered  in  settlement  of  a  future 
contract.  The  act  requires  that  future  trading  shall  be  on  the 
basis  of  the  Official  Cotton  Standards.  Twelve  expert  cotton  classers, 
termed  "examiners,"  have  been  designated  to  act  in  these  disputes, 
and  their  memoranda  of  conclusions  as  to  the  grade,  staple,  or 
quality  are  the  basis  of  the  formal  findings  of  the  Secretary,  which 
are  prima  facie  evidence  in  any  court  as  to  the  true  grade,  staple,  or 
quality  and  tenderability  of  any  cotton  covered  thereby. 

MISCELLANEOUS  PROBLEMS  IN  MARKETING  AND   COOPERATION. 

Under  this  general  heading  may  be  grouped  those  activities  of  the 
office  which  are  not  included  in  recognized  and  established  projects, 
and  which,  it  may  be  said,  generally  have  their  beginnings  in  the 
miscellaneous  group.  It  also  includes  some  general  cooperative  in- 
vestigational  work  carried  on  conjointly  with  State  experiment 
stations  and  other  agencies. 


14 

Among  the  miscellaneous  products  which  present  problems  requir- 
ing special  knowledge  and  a  study  of  factors  not  involved  in  the 
handling  of  most  farm  products  are  hay,  wool,  wood-lot  products, 
honey,  sugar-cane  sirup,  seeds,  etc.  In  cases  of  this  kind  marketing 
investigations  must  be  undertaken  in  collaboration  with  some  officer 
of  the  public  service  or  some  outside  agency  having  expert  or  tech- 
nical knowledge  of  the  product  involved. 

This  project  is  designed  alsp  to  enable  the  office  to  take  up  the 
investigation  of  specific  problems  not  provided  for  elsewhere,  and, 
when  their  importance  demands,  to  work  them  into  shape  for  estab- 
lishment as  separate  projects.  A  new  project  is  now  in  course  of 
establishment  for  the  investigation  of  grain  marketing.  It  is  ex- 
pected that  studies  will  be  made  of  the  primary  marketing  of  spring 
and  winter  wheat.  The  various  methods  of  marketing  corn,  for  both 
the  domestic  and  the  export  trade  are  to  be  studied  and  compared, 
and  especial  attention  given  to  the  marketing  of  southern  corn.  The 
crop  of  the  South,  in  a  general  way,  matures  almost  30  days  in 
advance  of  that  of  the  grain  belt,  but,  because  of  inadequate  handling 
and  distributing  machinery,  it  is  not  harvested  and  put  on  the  market 
in  advance  of  the  huge  crop  of  the  Middle  West. 

BUBAL  SOCIAL  AND  EDUCATIONAL  ACTIVITIES. 

Besides  the  phase  of  cooperation  dealing  with  the  marketing  of 
farm  and  food  products,  work  has  been  instituted  looking  toward 
that  basic  improvement  of  country  life  which  must  come  from  the 
country  itself,  through  the  development  of  resident  leadership.  This 
work  recognizes  that  the  true  function  of  increased  prosperity  in  the 
farm  home  is  the  raising  of  the  standard  of  living  and  thinking  upon 
the  farm.  While  other  projects  of  the  Office  look  toward  changes 
that  will  make  farming  more  profitable,  the  particular  object  of  this 
work  is  to  make  the  country  a  more  desirable  place  in  which  to  live. 

The  office  is  investigating  cooperative  organizations  that  are  en- 
deavoring to  improve  conditions  of  education,  health,  recreation,  and 
household  economy  in  rural  life.  The  work  done  thus  far  reveals 
many  needs  in  all  of  these  directions,  and,  when  practicable,  the  office 
attempts  to  supply  information  and  suggestions  to  such  associations. 

Local  demonstration  work  has  been  undertaken  in  Alabama  and  in 
North  Carolina  in  cooperation  with  State  and  local  agencies. 

BUBAL  CBEDIT,  INSUBANCE,  AND  COMMUNICATION. 

The  Office  of  Markets  and  Rural  Organization  is  making  investi- 
gations of  the  methods  and  agencies  now  in  existence  for  financing 
the  purchasing  and  operation  of  farms  and  the  marketing  of  farm 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILIT 


15 

products  in  the  hope  of  suggesting,  means  by  which  improvements 
may  be  effected. 

Careful  survey  work  has  been  done  to  ascertain  the  rates  of  interest 
charged  for  long  and  short  time  farm  loans  in  the  various  States, 
including  commissions  and  other  items  of  cost.  This  study  already 
has  revealed  the  relative  need  for  credit  improvement  in  different 
sections  and  suggests  the  possibilities  for  important  organization 
work  among  farmers.  A  careful  study  has  been  made  of  existing 
agencies  which  supply  either  mortgage  or  personal  loans  to  farmers, 
including  banks,  insurance  companies,  mortgage  companies,  building 
and  loan  associations,  and  cooperative  credit  associations.  A  bulle- 
tin recently  has  been  issued  entitled  "How  Farmers  May  Improve 
Their  Personal  Credit." 

In  connection  with  mortgage  credit  improvement,  active  assistance 
has  been  given  to  the  members  of  the  Scott  Cotton  Growers'  Associa- 
tion at  Scott,  Ark.,  in  perfecting  an  organization  agreement.  Definite 
experimental  and  demonstrational  work  is  thus  being  taken  up  in  the 
establishment  of  local  credit  institutions,  which  may  serve  as  types 
for  other  communities. 

A  number  of  special  studies  have  been  conducted  regarding  the 
credit  needs  and  facilities  on  reclamation  products,  the  financing  of 
live-stock  enterprises,  and  farm  credit  from  merchants  and  other 
dealers.  Assistance  has  been  given  in  matters  of  legislation  affecting 
farmers'  organizations  for  credit  improvement. 

Another  class  of  rural  organizations  are  mutual  insurance  and 
protective  organizations.  Life  insurance  is  highly  specialized,  and 
cooperative  bodies  of  the  ordinary  kind  seldom  attempt  it.  Crop, 
live-stock,  and  building  insurance,  however,  are  being  studied  as 
possibly  furnishing  a  field  for  this  work.  While  live-stock  insur- 
ance by  farmers'  mutuals  may  be  said  to  be  in  the  experimental 
stage  in  this  country,  hail  and  fire  insurance  through  such  companies 
is  thoroughly  established,  particularly  in  the  agricultural  States  of 
the  Middle  West.  The  office  is  making  a  careful  study  of  these  sub- 
jects, and  will  endeavor  as  far  as  possible  to  supply  information  and 
suggestions  to  such  organizations. 

Distance  between  homes  in  the  country  often  leads  to  both  eco- 
nomic and  social  disadvantages  which  it  is  difficult  to  overcome. 
Sueh  conditions  can  no  doubt  be  made  much  better  by  organized 
effort  for  road  improvement  and  for  the  installation  of  rural  tele- 
phones. This  Office,  therefore,  will  make  the  necessary  investiga- 
tions to  ascertain  the  opportunities  for  organized  activity  to  obtain 
better  roads  where  these  are  needed  and  to  encourage  the  organiza- 
tion of  cooperative  telephone  companies  in  sections  where,  from 
sparseness  of  population  or  other  unfavorable  conditions,  the  in- 
stallation of  a  commercial  system  would  not  be  a  success. 


16 

PUBLICATIONS   OF    THE   OFFICE    OF   MARKETS    AND   RURAL 
ORGANIZATION.1 

Department  Bulletin  36.  Studies  of  Primary  Cotton  Market  Conditions  in  Okla- 
homa, by  W.  A.  Sherman,  Fred  Taylor,  and  Charles  J.  Brand.  1913. 

Department  Bulletin  121.  Spinning  Tests  of  Upland  Long  Staple  Cotton,  by 
Fred  Taylor  and  W.  A.  Sherman.  1914. 

Department  Bulletin  146.  Economic  Conditions  in  the  Sea  Island  Cotton  Indus- 
try, by  William  R.  Meadows.  1914. 

Department  Bulletin  178.  Cooperative  Organization  Business  Methods,  by  W.  H. 
Kerr  and  G.  A.  Nahstoll.  1915. 

Department  Bulletin  191.  Demurrage  Information  for  Farmers,  by  G.  C.  White. 
1915. 

Department  Bulletin  216.  Cotton  Warehouses:  Storage  Facilities  Now  Avail- 
able in  the  South,  by  Robert  L.  Nixon.  1915. 

Department  Bulletin  225.  A  System  of  Accounting  for  Cooperative  Fruit  Asso- 
ciations, by  G.  A.  Nahstoll  and  W.  H.  Kerr.  1915. 

Department  Bulletin  236.  System  of  Accounts  for  Farmers'  Cooperative  Ele- 
vators. 1915. 

Department  Bulletin  237.  Strawberry  Supply  and  Distribution  in  1914,  by  Wells 
A.  Sherman,  Houston  F.  Walker,  and  O.  W.  Schleussner.  1915. 

Department  Bulletin  266.  Outlets  and  Methods  of  Sale  for  Shippers  of  Fruits 
and  Vegetables,  by  J.  W.  Fisher,  jr.,  J.  H.  Collins,  and  Weils  A.  Sherman, 
1915. 

Department  Bulletin  267.  Methods  of  Wholesale  Distribution  of  Fruits  and 
Vegetables  on  Large  Markets,  by  J.  H.  Collins,  J.  W.  Fisher,  jr.,  and  Wells  A. 
Sherman.  1915. 

Department  Bulletin  2T7.  Cotton  Warehouse  Construction,  by  R.  L.  Nixon. 
1915. 

Farmers'  Bulletin  593.  Shipping  Eggs  by  Parcel  Post,  by  Lewis  B.  Flohr. 
1914. 

Farmers'  Bulletin  654.  How  Farmers  May  Improve  their  Personal  Credit,  by 
C.  W.  Thompson.  1915. 

Farmers'  Bulletin  656.  The  Community  Egg  Circle,  by  0.  E.  Bassett  and  W.  H. 
Kerr.  1915. 

Yearbook  Separate  626.  The  Organization  of  Rural  Interests,  by  T.  N.  Carver. 
1913  Yearbook. 

Yearbook  Separate  632.  The  Organization  of  a  Rural  Community,  by  T.  N. 
Carver.  1914  Yearbook. 

Yearbook  Separate  636.  Retail  Public  Markets,  by  G.  V.  Branch.  1914  Year- 
book. 

Yearbook  Separate  637.  Cooperative  Marketing  and  Financing  of  Marketing 
Associations,  by  C.  E.  Bassett,  C.  W.  Moomaw,  and  W.  H.  Kerr.  1914  Year- 
book. 

Office  of  the  Secretary  Circular  46.  Rules  and  Regulations  of  the  Secretary  of 
Agriculture  under  the  United  States  cotton  futures  Act,  August  18,  1914. 

Office  of  the  Secretary  Circular  48.  Marketing  Maine  Potatoes,  by  C.  T.  More 
and  G.  V.  Branch.  1915. 

House  of  Representatives,  Sixty-third  Congress,  third  session,  Document  No. 
1271.  Marketing  of  Kansas  Wheat  in  1914,  by  W.  H.  Kerr  and  L.  D.  H. 
Weld.  1914.  (For  sale  by  the  Superintendent  of  Documents.) 

Office  of  Markets  and  Rural  Organization.  Service  and  Regulatory  Announce- 
ments (Cotton  futures  Act).  5  cents  each. 


1  Available  on  application  to  the  Division  of  Publications. 

WASHINGTON  :  GOVBBNMBNT  PBINTINQ  OFFICE  :  191S 


